Industry news

From European airports and Asian defence forces to US retailers and Australian telcos cyber attacks continue to wreak commercial and personal havoc around the globe.

The zippy 2026 Zeekr 001 has hit the market in China as a rival to the Tesla Model S.

The Volkswagen Group’s long-awaited response to cheap electric vehicles (EVs) from China is shaping up to be one of next year’s most important global debutantes.

Porsche’s move into hybrid technology for its most iconic model is paying dividends, according to a key executive.

Australia electric car owners are about to realise the full potential of their vehicles.Power giant AGL has announced a new Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) trial to allow EV owners to power their homes and be paid to send power back to the grid.V2G technology allows electric vehicle owners to use the energy stored in their vehicles to power their home or send power back to the grid to earn credits during periods of peak demand.Electric car batteries are typically about five times the size of conventional home batteries, which could deliver huge potential for Australians.When paired with roof-top solar, V2G technology could allow some to effectively live off the grid.AGL Head of Innovation and Strategy Renae Gasmier said: “To unlock the full potential of their electric vehicles, owners need to think about them as more than cars, but rather as home batteries on wheels. The typical electric car battery can store enough energy to power the average home for around three days.”The new technology was green lit last year when Federal Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen announced Standards Australia has signed off on a new protocol allowing the technology to be approved for use in Australia.This streamlined the process for car and charging device manufacturers to get their vehicles approved for V2G use.“Vehicle to grid charging is now ticked, enabled under the law of the land and will become a reality before Christmas, in the real world,” said Bowen at the time. “Possible today, technically possible today, thanks to these changes, but next couple of months, an opportunity for the companies to get their registrations in and get it happening.”Currently V2G is only being trialled in South Australia, but AGL opens it up nationwide by bringing in all major national electricity market Distribution Network Service Providers.AGL has joined forces with BYD, Hyundai, Kia and Zeekr to make the service available to select vehicles.Owners of a Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ioniq 9 and the soon to be launched updated Ioniq 6 can take part.Kia’s EV3, EV6 and EV9 can also be part of the trial.Kia Australia boss Damien Meredith said: “Amid cost-of-living pressures, this unlocks the potential for Kia EV owners to transform their cars into mobile energy assets. Bi-directional charging is a game-changer, and we look forward to help introduce V2G to the Australian market on a much larger scale.”Hyundai Australia chief Don Romano said the trial will be able to show Australians its electric cars can do far more than just drive.BYD Atto 3 with some modifications is currently eligible with the plug-in hybrid Shark 6 ute and Sealion 6 a possibility further down the line.Zeekr currently has three electric vehicles on sale, the X small SUV, 7X mid-size SUV and 009 people mover. It is unclear which Zeekr vehicles can take part in the trial.

A best-selling SUV and van have retained their five-star Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) safety rating.

KGM Australia (formerly SsangYong Australia) has received a tick of approval from the Federal Government for the local appearance of a pure-electric version of its Musso dual cab ute.

The sales charts in Australia have been shaken up over the past year with more and more Chinese brands emerging.However, Toyota still firmly is the best-selling brand in Australia.Toyota Australia Vice President of Sales and Marketing Sean Hanley said the company continues to be extremely strategic despite its success.“It’s competitive. Never take position for granted,” said Hanley.“Every day you wake up, it’s a new challenge. Every day you wake up, it’s a new way of thinking.“The automotive industry is evolving and moving like every other industry. Quick rapidly.“So to say it’s business as usual would be an incorrect statement. But we’re certainly not panicking.“We certainly feel confident and we feel in control of our destination. We have a good purpose. We have a great team of people and dealer network that’s working towards that purpose.“We’ve been very clear strategically for the last 10 years on what the next 10 years will look like.“So therefore, when you’ve got a common goal and a purpose that people buy into, including consumers, then you can be confident about your future, but it’s not business as usual.“The fact is we work hard all the time to try to get it right and there are times when we don’t get it right. We’re not perfect.“What I love about Toyota is when we don’t get it right, god, we try hard to get it right. We don’t hide from it. We face up.“In my 38 years , that’s the reason why Toyota is one of the most trusted brands in Australia and why it’s the most trusted automotive brand .In the first eight months of 2025, Toyota has sold a total of 163,491 new vehicles in Australia. The next best-selling brand is Mazda (63,208 sales), followed by Ford (62,581 sales).While sales for these established mainstream brands are all down slightly as this year is forming as a cooler year for overall new car sales, brands such as China’s BYD and Chery are experiencing astronomical sales growth.GWM has also asserted itself as a top 10 player in the new car sales charts. It plans to be in the top five by 2030.Despite the influx of emerging Chinese brands, a vast array of Toyota vehicles remain at the top of their respective segments. These include the Corolla, Camry, RAV4, Prado and LandCruiser.Where it has lost its footing is on the budget end of the spectrum with vehicles such as the MG3 overtaking the Yaris, the Mazda CX-3 outselling the Yaris Cross and the GWM Haval Jolion outperforming the Corolla Cross.Sales for its bZ4X electric vehicle (EV) are a splash in the pan compared to top-selling rivals like the Tesla Model Y and BYD Sealion 7.Over the next 12 months Toyota is poised to introduce another EV in the form of the larger bZ4X Touring.It will also introduce a new-generation of its top-selling RAV4 mid-size SUV with the inclusion of a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) power option for the first time in Australia.Toyota is launching a new petrol-electric hybrid version of the LandCruiser 300 Series in the first half of 2026 to sell alongside the existing turbo-diesel variants.

Billionaire investor Warren Buffet and his Berkshire Hathaway company has sold it last remaining stake in BYD.

Jeep has cancelled the plug-in hybrid version of its Gladiator off-road pick-up truck before it even went on sale.